A young Inverness Caley Thistle footballer has showcased her talents on the European stage after being selected to compete in Spain.

Arloe McKenzie (9) of Hilton of Cadboll near Tain, was one of hundreds of aspiring players chosen to represent their home country at the Nations Cup in Barcelona.

The Ross-shire youngster, who plays in Inverness Caledonain Thistle’s under 10’s, was selected for the Scottish team in the Barcelona Experience Girls Nations Cup 2026 during a special training session in Glasgow.

From there, she dedicated six weekends to training with the team before jetting off to Spain this week.

Arloe and her fellow players dominated the field, competing against teams from Spain, Ireland and England at Nou Estadi Costa Daurada, the home ground of Gimnàstic de Tarragona.

The team walked away with the trophy, securing first place in the 2017’s group.

Stepping off the plane, Callum McKenzie praised his daughter's resilience.

He said: “I don't know where she gets the confidence because it was all kids from different places. It wasn’t people that she knew but she has made pals. I couldn't have done it myself to be honest.

“It was really good; it was something totally different. We will certainly do it again if the opportunity arises.”

Arloe’s family back home were able to capture all the action through a dedicated livestream.

He added: “It was streamed on YouTube, so the family could watch it at home. They had a commentator so her name was getting called out. It was really cool.”

Arloe’s love for football began at just age six when she joined Ross County Football Club’s under 8’s.

For the last few seasons, the youngster has played for Inverness Caley Thistle in the under 10’s team, competing in both the under 12’s tournaments and mixed festivals.

Arloe also competed in the Lnchyra Cup at Falkirk Stadium last summer.

The future looks bright for the young football fanatic, having secured an invite to a future Rangers talent day and a spot on the waiting list for Celtic’s Next generation Academy.

Her proud father said they will leave no stone unturned in helping young Arloe pursue her sporting dreams.

He said: “She plays football five times a week. It's the only thing we do as a family, as we are never in the house.

“Obviously we are in the Highlands so the logistics are an issue but if she is keen on pursuing that, we will try and accommodate that as much as we can.”